Trading Standards enforces the law and legislation surrounding age restricted products and their sales. This is essential for the safeguarding of young people and the community.
Age restricted products and services include:
- alcohol
- tobacco products and cigarettes
- nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes and refills
- fireworks
- all age sensitive media, including films, video games and publications
- solvents
- lighter refills
- petrol
- credit
- gaming machines
- lottery tickets and scratch cards
- tattoos and skin piercing
- aerosol spray paints
- sunbeds
We regularly carry out test sales with volunteer young people as part of our enforcement and inspection process. We carry out regular inspections, promote the use of identification, and regularly provide advice to traders regarding licensing requirements.
No Proof of Age, No Sale
NPOANS is an online training resource kit developed for the use of retailers and staff who sell restricted products. This is a highly respected trader package for the South West that has been regularly updated in line with best practise, changes in the law and technology.
The online resource documents and information can be downloaded and printed off. These include notes for staff and for trainers, a series of tests on various age restricted products (with answers in a separate document) and support materials, including posters, useful websites and sample refusals register pages.
Fees for NPOANS subscription can vary according to business size.
For further information, visit No Proof Of Age, No Sale.
Reporting an age restricted sale issue
If you have any information about traders who are supplying age restricted products to underage persons, you can report it to Trading Standards by contacting our partner agency the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. They can be contacted on 0808 223 1133 (free from landlines and mobiles). You can also report it online.